


Spectacular Beauty

by Sekki



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fashion & Models, Gay, M/M, Modeling, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-21
Updated: 2016-08-24
Packaged: 2018-06-03 14:31:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 14,858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6614335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sekki/pseuds/Sekki
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Model AU revolving around TsukiYama.</p>
<p>Tsukishima Kei, already a famous model at the young age of 16, and unable to go anywhere without being bombarded with autograph requests and cameras. He didn’t even understand what was so extraordinary about his career, and it had been his brother who had given him the interest. Not only was it high-paying, but it had been Akiteru’s former dream, before he quit after being enlisted as a side model.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to my friend for the model AU idea, and all the snide comments on how Tsukishima is "so model worthy." I'd really appreciate suggestions on the story and my writing style, as the help is always nice!
> 
> Hope it isn't too terribly written and you enjoy it. Also, this is not a completed story; it may say so, but it isn't.

The photographer glanced out from behind the camera, his face pulled into a critical pout as he studied the young male. The blonde teen before him had the sudden urge to ‘tsk’, but had been told to not be rude by his manager. Not that it mattered, he wasn’t about to be bossed around by a guy who could barely hide the fact that he wore a wig.  
“Can you tilt your head slightly upwards? Hm, yeah, that’s good. Thanks.” The man resumed his role behind the piece of technology, flashes marking the start of a new fashion line.  
Tsukishima Kei, already a famous model at the young age of 16, and unable to go anywhere without being bombarded with autograph requests and cameras. He didn’t even understand what was so extraordinary about his career, and it had been his brother who had given him the interest. Not only was it high-paying, but it had been Akiteru’s former dream, before he quit after being enlisted as a side model.  
After that, Kei lost passion, but remained in the job. Money was money after all; even if it came with dozens of annoying fans and phone calls practically every hour. For his current job, he had been asked to do a photoshoot for a summer line coming out, and he had already been stripped of his fashion identity. The regular hoodies and darker kinds of clothes had been replaced with that of bright colours and patterned shirts.   
He was apparently such a valuable asset in the modelling career due to his ability to remain cold without even trying. The look had landed him loads of tasks to complete, and it was a big hit with women (apparently.) That didn’t matter though; romance was the least of his worries. Especially romance with a female – that seemed a bit farfetched.  
Striking Tsukishima from his thoughts, the photographer sighed. “All done then. I’ll sort through these and send the best shots to the company. Thanks for the assistance.”  
He dismissed the tall blonde, who simply nodded in reply and went to change, as well as wash off excess makeup.  
\--  
The classroom was full of students. The females commenting on different aspects of his appearance while remaining in their friendship groups, and the males revelling in silent jealousy. Tsukishima kept his eyes forward and walked to his secluded desk in the corner. There, he donned headphones, averting his gaze to the window where the world seemed to expand.  
Despite popular belief, his friendship group was rather limited to that of himself, due to everyone being somewhat scared of becoming close to him. It was fine though, friends were kind of annoying, weren’t they?   
“Look at the way his glasses sit on his face..”  
“... I don’t see how he’s so attractive. Just cause’ he’s a model?”  
“I wish he would look at me.”  
“Why did we have to have him in our class?”  
He let out an exasperated sigh, shutting his eyes and removing the headphones as the teacher entered. The class grew silent and sat down, some still shooting Kei varieties of looks; from despairing pouts to hopeful glances.  
“Good morning, everyone. Today, there is a new student.”  
At the teachers’ sudden announcement, the murmuring began, attention now completely erased from the model. Some people discussing why someone would transfer halfway through the term, and others casting confused looks to friends. Tsukishima simply moved his gaze back to the window, unconcerned with the class matters.   
“Quiet please,” The teacher sighed, and looked to the side. “Come in.”  
The noise of the door opening echoed throughout the room, as everyone held a bated breath, and even Kei had readjusted his attention towards the front, only slightly curious. The boy that stepped inside was at first glance, kind of girly. But after a small study, he was actually slightly attractive.   
While being rather pale, he had a perfectly clear face with no freckles, pimples or scars; which was definitely refreshing. It looked like he had tried to style his hair, but a strand stuck constantly upwards, and overall he wore a sheepish look to suit his crooked attempt at a serious expression.  
“Hello.” He lifted his hand up to wave, but stopped nearly immediately once no one responded. The boy looked around, made eye contact with Tsukishima, and smiled.  
The simple action triggered something within the blonde, a memory clicked, before falling back down into a subconscious abyss. Déjà vu. He covered up his initial surprise quickly, leaving the odd revelation buried inside of him.   
“Yamaguchi, please be seated over there.” The teacher indicated a desk behind the model, and the new student was happy to oblige, taking his place easily.  
“So first, I will do a roll call.” The man standing at the front of the class sighed to himself, finding the paper amongst a stack of files on a desk.   
The majority of students were talking, and from that, the majority of the conversations were revolved around Tadashi.  
“He doesn’t look half bad, you know?”  
“Yeah, but did you see how he smiled at Tsukishima? Something’s suspicious there.”  
“Mm, I see where you’re coming from. But doesn’t he look kind of cute?”  
The spectacled boy turned to the new comer sitting behind him, a blank look crossing his emotionless face. Yamaguchi sat, unpacking a multitude of books and stationery, looking up when he noticed the other.   
“Oh, hello.” He smiled once more, the pleasant look adding a sense of beauty to his face, with the corners of his lips curving ever so slightly upwards.   
The taller one considered him for a moment before ‘tsk-ing’ and facing forwards once more.  
\--  
“Tsukishima! Thanks for coming in today!” The manager raced out from his large office, embracing the unhappy boy instantly.   
“Don’t thank me for something that you’re forcing me to do.” The blonde adjusted his glasses, prying the obese man from him.   
“Yes, yes, yes, right. Anyway, I know this is your day off and you’d rather be relaxing rather than doing your job, but this is a really important offer.” The man sweated, his beady eyes darting to the floor and back up to the teenager, who was miles taller than him already.  
Kei sighed. “What is it?”   
Like a child, the chubby man began to clap, a large grin deeming his face scary. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” He pulled a pamphlet from his pocket, handing the crumpled bit of paper to Tsukishima.   
“I already accepted it, and they’re going to be here within the next two hours, so you’d best get ready.” The manager clapped him on the back, causing the blonde to stagger slightly. He watched his boss re-enter his office, turning to make his way to his own room too.  
At least this next modelling job would be more suited to him. The company was advertised for high quality jumpers, jeans and other dark and concealing clothes. Tsukishima paused for a moment before entering the stylish makeup room that had been granted to him.   
Inside, he sat reluctantly in the throne-like chair, releasing a sigh of relief as he did so; eyes shutting to relieve tension. The door swung open almost on cue, the familiar sounds of a rolling trolley and footsteps filling the room.  
“You really are a model, Tsukishima?”   
His eyes shot open at the familiar voice in echoing in his ears, and he turned to face Tadashi, who was once again smiling at him with that mixture of distant sadness and watery happiness.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait, but thanks for all the hits and kudos.. it's actually amazing. My writing is a bit rushed but yeah... hope you enjoy this chapter!!

_Tsukishima watched him, the summer chimes in the background happily swaying and adding a prolonged dreamlike feel. The other slept soundly, every so often his nose would twitch, or his curled eyelashes would flutter. Around them, the world seemed endless, and unbearably bright. Stationed in a pasture, they were surrounded by fresh grass and buzzing insects of all kinds; which did little to annoy the model, surprisingly. The other stirred, his eyes opening in a dazed slowness. “You came today too?” The boy held back a yawn, his words slurred with distinct exhaustion. “Yeah.” He sat up, casting Tsukishima a rather sad smile. In the blonde’s eyes, the other looked strangely familiar, but he was unable to identify who they reminded him of. “I don’t think you’ll be able to come anymore, Tsukki.” Now it was time for the taller boy to sit up, and clash gazes with his friend. “Why not?” The other sighed. “You can, but… I won’t be here anymore.” There was silence as his sentence rang across the area, even the many bugs hushing so that the effect might linger. Tsukishima went to open his mouth, when suddenly the scenery swung rapidly into that of a park at sunset, and his friend grew older; the same glassy-eyed stare dominating his face. “Tsukki.” His tone was gentle, plucking a string in the blonde’s heart._

_“Goodbye.”_

“Kei, you’ve got school today. Are you sick?” He woke to his mothers’ voice, and a cold hand pressed to his forehead. Groggily, he sat up, shaking her off. “I’m fine, just overslept.” The tall boy stood, donning his glasses and glancing around the room in an attempt to pull his conscious together. Never did he dream so vividly, or remember it this clearly after waking either.

\--

The morning air greeted him like an ex-girlfriend: with a cold slap to the face.  It must have snowed overnight, since the ground was covered with a thin layer of snow, and the temperature in the air was beyond unbearable. He huffed grumpily, pulling his scarf further up so that it covered some of his reddening nose. The walk to school didn’t normally take up that much time, but now that the streets were filled with snow shovelers and signs labelling certain areas too dangerous, the time had been doubled.

As he made his way past buildings and alleyways, the boy noticed a figure following him from the shadows. Unconcerned, he continued to make his way to school, until he arrived at the gates and entered. The person seemed to disappear after that, which was mostly a relief, since they probably couldn’t get to him on the grounds.

Looking around the broad yard, he spotted Yamaguchi, who sat alone on a bench, his gloved hands stuffed into his school bag. Tsukishima considered what to do for a moment, the simple action of seeing the other had already renewed his dream in his memory. Something clicked, and he realised that the person in his dream had been Tadashi, and suddenly déjà vu struck once more, as if his dream wasn’t just that; but also perhaps a glimpse into the past.

He walked over to where the new boy sat, stuffing his hands in his coat pockets and sitting beside him, looking straight forward instead of at the other. “Good morning, Tsukishima.” His voice sounded rather cheerful as he spoke, and the blonde tilted his head to realise that he was looking straight at him. “Hello.” The model nodded, unsure of what else to say. There was a brief and awkward silence, until the boy beside him shifted. “In the winter it used to be very cold here, but it seems like it has gotten worse.” Yamaguchi sniffed as he finished speaking, turning his attention back to his freezing hands. Tsukishima then noticed that the boy before him was not wearing a scarf, and the coat that he did wear appeared to be rather thin. He went to comment on the fact, when a girl suddenly appeared out of what seemed like nowhere.

“Tsukishima! Good morning!” As she spoke, a group of her friends approached from behind her. She looked the strangest, with dyed red hair hanging from her head as ponytails, and a colourful coat disguising her school uniform. The others near her weren’t as flashy, but they all wore frightened types of expressions. He said nothing in reply, only continued to stare at them coldly. “The teachers actually told us to come get you, since it’s your turn for classroom chores. All you’ve got to do is come with us though, we’ll do it all for you. What kind of fan club would we be if we didn’t do at least that much?” She laughed and beckoned for him to follow them. The blonde assumed the girl was joking and stood up, casting Yamaguchi a hesitant glance before leaving.

The boy was left sitting with thoughts running wild in his head, while his face stayed in a passive smile.

\--

At last the final bell rang, marking the end of another tiring school day, and the beginning of a wild rush to escape the prison of education. Tsukishima watched as Tadashi joined the rush, a particular determination in his step sparking curiosity in Kei. He did not follow the other though, he felt that’d defy his persona.

The model stood from his desk in the near empty classroom, wrapping his scarf around his neck as he prepared to leave and head outside. A sudden buzzing from his pocket marked a phone call, and as he exited, the voice of his mother carried through the speaker. “Kei, could you grab some meat or something from a convenience store? Akiteru had to leave early for work and wasn’t able to do so.” The woman sounded panicked, as if going one night without a buffet would leave her son malnourished. “Alright. I’ll be home soon.” He hung up with his short reply, sighing as he headed to a small store near the school. Girls that had left late walked in front of him, their conversation hushed as they noticed the tall man behind them. Despite their desperate attempts, Tsukishima still managed to pick up comments about how beautiful he was or how one of them was going to turn around and flirt with him.

However, he made it to the store without trouble, his desire to get away from the pair had driven him to even faster speeds and now he entered with an annoyed expression etched into his face. Uncaring, he made his way past those who were already shopping, approaching the meat section and picking out multiple random packs with no particular preference of what he was actually buying.

Kei walked over to the register, putting the packs down and trying to find his wallet buried in his school bag. As he looked at the cashier to pay, he suddenly stopped, drawing in a quiet breath as he recognised them. “Yamaguchi?” The man standing behind the counter looked surprised, but covered his expression up quickly. “I- I don’t know who that is... sorry.” Tsukishima’s eyebrows drew heavy over his eyes, trying to re-evaluate his decision, but unable to change the final conclusion. The way he stood, the way he spoke, his facial structure, it all matched Tadashi’s, with only slight alterations to the cheekbone shape, and his hair was extremely different. “Sorry for the mistake.” Kei muttered, handing over money and grabbing his bag. “Keep this for yourself then.” The model raised his hand and dropped more change into the others’ palm, leaving the store straight after.

Looking down, the cashier’s eyes widened once more as he was met with a few ‘hundred dollar’ bills. “How am I meant to forget you when you do things like this?” He whispered to himself, stashing the money in his pocket hesitantly.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is pretty long, and so if there are any mistakes, I apologise. I did read over it like ten times so... Also shoutout to the person who commented on the last chapter, I forgot your username, but thanks for the enthusiasm haha.
> 
> Side note: The italics represent the past (memories etc) so if it gets confusing, sorry once again.

Tadashi woke, the piercing sound beside his ear already setting him into a grumpy mood. Turning the alarm off, he rolled out of the makeshift bed he slept in, pulling the covers up to his pillow once standing, as if trying to be neat. The shabby room around him was dark, and the only light was from his clock and the slither of sunlight coming in from the tiny window. His fan clicked as it spun around in a constant motion, and the wallpapers looked as if they had peeled even more so while he slept.

Already, sounds emitted from the kitchen, the sign of his mother presumably making something for his breakfast. Ever so slowly, he made his way downstairs, rubbing his eyes to try and wake up more – but to no avail.

“Are you awake already, Tadashi?” The woman turned around from the stove as he entered the kitchen and sat down, nodding. Deep bags sat under her eyes, yet she still smiled, revealing a softness spreading across her face. Yamaguchi found his eyes drifting to her tattered sleeve, where the stump of her arm hung limply, a reminder of the grim past that their family shared. “It isn’t too much today, most of our food is gone.” His mother was apologetic, as she placed the contents of the pan onto a plate and set it in front of him. “Have you got something to eat?” He asked, casting his eyes from the meagre rations to her, who wore a glazed expression upon her face, before it disappeared into another peaceful smile. “Yes, of course.” He frowned inwardly, sure that she was lying, but faced forward and allowed his hunger to get the better of him. He ate quickly, guilt buried in the pit of stomach, and his heart sinking with each bite. “I’ll go find you a scarf then.” His mother strode past her son, searching through the near empty cupboards to find something warm for him to wear.

\--

He entered the school grounds, racing to the bathrooms almost as soon as he arrived. Tadashi made his way safely into a cubicle, sitting down on the toilet seat and pulling out a makeup kit from his school bag. He glanced at his freckled face with a heavy feeling in his stomach, and began to adjust himself so that he became pristine. As he worked, the sound of the door swinging open sounded, before gruff voices echoed in the small room.

“I’m so sick of that damn… brat.” One spoke, and a bang sounded afterwards, followed by a growl of sorts. “Calm down, if you break anything in this school, there is no doubt you’ll be expelled instantly.” The second one commented, a condescending tone buried in his voice. “Shut it. What are we going to do about that guy anyway? He’s practically invincible with all that attention. He even has his own fanclub for God’s sake!” The first replied, anger causing his voice to rise.

Yamaguchi brought his legs up to his chest so that it appeared as if no one was in the stall – his ‘bullying’ instincts kicking in.

“I agree. Something needs to be done right now. I don’t like how much attention he receives.” The third person to speak appeared to have a lisp, yet he spoke with enough authority to match that of a principal’s. Despite having a bad feeling about the trio, the freckled boy could not help his respect for the final man.

“So? What’re we going to do?” The first one began to speak again, when he was suddenly hushed by another. “Wait. There’s someone in here.” The second one stopped his friend, and Tadashi felt sudden fear creep up his spine, as footsteps approached his cubicle.

Someone knocked on the stall door, the thumps echoing loudly in the frozen boy’s ears. “Why are we worrying about this? All boys hate Tsukishima… that good for nothing model.” The first one spoke up, his voice now eerily close. “He does have one friend, apparently. A wussy kid who would hid himself in a stall like this. Maybe if we can get him…” He trailed off. “Oh? Good thinking. Baiting is the one thing we haven’t tried yet, huh?”

Yamaguchi listened to their conversation, his mind flashing back to his past. The cruel smiles, the red welts, the swollen eye. The daily bruising, the mental trauma. His one blonde friend.

Right.

His blonde friend. Tsukishima. He shut his eyes, drowning out the amplified knocking on the door, and focusing solely on the laughing face he remembered. The times when he became a wall to block out those who tried to hurt him. The days where his scars faded to white, the days when all he could think about was the determination of the boy closest to him.

Tadashi snapped out of his past when the click of a lock was the only thing able to be heard. With a terrified realisation, he shoved the kit into the bottom of his bag, just in time for the trio to appear in his vision.

“Hello, how are we today?” The second boy spoke, his eyes glittering as he watched his prey. “D-Don’t-“ “Hm? Louder, I can’t hear you.” Yamaguchi swallowed back the lump in his throat, staring into his foe’s eyes. “Don’t touch me.” With a look of surprise, the boy stepped backwards, recovering with a slick smile. “Unfortunately, I don’t fight fairly, so I think two against one would be enough to stomp that light out behind those annoying eyes.” He nodded to his two friends, who gave off wicked grins and inched forward towards their soon-to-be victim.

 

In the hallway, Tsukishima walked, trapped in a loop of confusing thoughts. As he passed the boys bathroom, a loud crash emitted, followed by a yell. He would’ve continued without caring, if it weren’t for the mention of Yamaguchi’s name by a familiar voice. In a sudden rush, he entered, immediately confronted by the backs of three boys and his friend pinned up against the wall, blood flowing steadily from his nose.

His normally calm and uncaring mindset was instantly shattered by a sudden rush of rage and a bitter taste in his mouth. The trio still had failed to realise his entrance, and with silent steps, he moved forward until he was directly behind them. His presence alerted the boys, and they turned to see the other towering over them, dropping Yamaguchi in shock.

He fell to the ground, glancing up at Tsukishima with exhaustion

“See, I told you the pla-“ The boy who had stood aside for the beating stopped as a large force carried across his face and sent him spinning into an unconscious heap. The blonde boy cracked his knuckles, shaking off the pain from hitting him. “Tsukishima? Oh, hey! How are you?!” The first boy’s gruff tone had now lifted and his voice suddenly rose, fear evident in his stance and actions. The model regarded him with deadly silence, glaring him down so that he shook on the spot where he stood. “We should leave, like, right now.” The third boy watched his friend with certain fear, and quickly grabbed him, running from the bathroom with lightning fast speed. Tsukishima heard the door click, and kneeled in front of his friend. “You shouldn’t have done that… you could be expelled.” Yamaguchi spoke, his voice dry as he met the others’ stone gaze. _“Why did you do it?” He asked, tears still clinging to his face._

“They won’t say anything, it would cost them too much. Are you alright?”

_“It doesn’t matter why. It’s fine, I won’t get into trouble for defending you, right?” He grinned at his friend, helping him to stand up._

“Yes, thank you for helping me.” Yamaguchi stood, Tsukishima following his lead, watching him cautiously.

_“What’s your name?” The recently bullied boy asked, his hand squeezing tightly onto the others’._

“I’m not sure how you knew, but I wanted to give you the money back that you gave me yesterday.” The bruised boy pulled the cash from his pocket, and went to hand it to the other. The model regarded Yamaguchi, before pushing his hand back towards him.

“I don’t want it.”

_“Tsukishima Kei. What’s yours?”_

“Tsukishima, I really can’t accept anything like this, please just take it.” He brought his hand forward once more, pushing the boy to take it. Kei shook his head, rejecting the money once more.

_“Yamaguchi Tadashi. Can I call you Tsukki since your name is so long?”_

The makeup artist grew frustrated, and began waving his arm up and down in a frantic attempt to convince the other. “Tsukki plea-“

_“Sure.” He adjusted his glasses, attempting to hide the extreme happiness that coursed through his body. “So you’re my friend now, right?” The boy bounced beside him, hand still latching onto his with surprising strength. “I-I guess so…” He averted his gaze to the side, wanting nothing more than to hide his reddening face._

Yamaguchi’s eyes grew wide, his hand covering his mouth, the desire to take back what he said before stronger than ever. Tsukshima stood in silent revelation, his mouth open ever so slightly as the name repeated in his mind.

_“Tsukki! You’re a tomato!” Tadashi laughed happily, the pleasant tone enough to send Kei’s spirits soaring._

“I didn’t mean to-“ Tadashi attempted to justify himself, before giving up and pushing past the tall boy, wanting to escape. He stopped abruptly when he felt a firm grip on his wrist. “Yamaguchi.”

_“What do you mean you’re leaving?” The desperation in his voice struck the freckled boy in the heart, and he dropped his gaze. “I’m sorry. I can’t do anything about it.” He replied solemnly, turning around so that he didn’t see the pain on his friends’ face. “Goodbye..”_

_He went to walk away, but was stopped by a weight on his arm._

“I remember you.” Tsukishima felt a rise of emotions in his heart, and he watched as the boy in front of him began to shake. “Please, let go…”

_“Tsukki, let go.”_

“Tsukishima.”

_The pressure lifted, and without turning around, Tadashi ran. Ran from the pain he could not allow himself to face, lest he break. The pain that would crack his heart further, all from seeing the other shed a tear._

His grip wavered, and Yamaguchi pulled his hand back, walking out of the bathroom with tears brimming in his eyes.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone for the comments on how to improve and all the positive feedback. It means a lot!
> 
> As always, I hope you enjoy this chapter! :D

She smiled into the mirror, admiring her face with an impossibly high ego. Today would be the day when Tsukishima would return to her, and their fairy-tale like love would continue. The girl sighed dreamily, not noticing as her round-faced manager entered the large makeup room. “We’re leaving now.”

\--

Kei glanced out the window, immediately becoming annoyed by the sight of bickering models outside.

This week was the time where Tsukishima would be unable to rest, and even on his days off, would be forced into work. Models from a range of different companies would join up with him to do shoots for asking fashion brands. The catch was that they were all female, and all extremely confident in their appearance and ability to seduce any man. As well as this, only seven women would be able to participate, since each girl would spend the day doing shoots, and it was only a “one week” occurrence.

The only reason that the blonde was being forced into this was due to the amount of money it would give to his company, and also the fact that he was one of the most – if not the most – popular models in his country.

“Tsukishima?” He was snapped from his train of thoughts by a quiet voice in front of him.

There stood Yamaguchi, his clothes from a popular hipster-like line of fashion. His face was extra pale today, and it seemed as if his eyes were reflecting something that he hadn’t seen before. “What’re you here for?” The model’s tone was surprised as he looked upon his friend, remembering what had happened about a week beforehand. “I’m actually your makeup artist for today…” He trailed off, scratching the back of his head with a gentle smile. “Oh.” He paused. “Is it time for that already?” “Huh? Oh, no, it’s not. I just thought that I’d come talk to you since I don’t know anyone else here.” “Did you want to sit then? Standing up wouldn’t be ideal.”

Yamaguchi averted his eyes and simply shook his head, attention going suddenly to where a woman stood complaining loudly.

“… Tsukishima! I demand so. Why won’t you let me? I’m sure he’d be more than happy to see me again.” At the mention of his name, the model tilted his head to get better vision of who was talking, and ever so slowly his eyes widened.

Billowing red hair spiralled down the girl’s back in cautious curls, and when she turned around fully, the glint of danger in her dark blue eyes completed her profile. She had full lips and a figure that resembled a goddess, and to compliment that fact, she wore a tight fitting outfit.

“Yamaguchi.” The blonde model spoke quietly to his friend, who had refocused on him. “Yes?” “We should do makeup now.” The boy was confused at his monotone voice, and the way he didn’t turn his eyes from the girl standing in the lobby. “But it’s not-“ “Yamaguchi.” His eyes locked with his friends’, and his tone had staggered into a sharp blade, demanding that he listened.

The other’s eyes widened, and a hint of fear shook his body. Where had he heard that before?

“L-Let’s go then.” He watched Tsukishima stand up, and as they walked together towards the elevator, the model was stopped by the same girl. Only Tadashi heard the cursing that fell from his mouth.

“Kei-teru?” The girl gripped his wrist, secretly admiring how finely toned his forearms were. She was unable to see his eyes, but there had been a definite flinch as she spoke. “Um, excuse me.”

A dull looking boy came into sight, no longer hiding behind his model friend. He stopped as her eyes turned rock hard at spotting him. “We actually have to go and do his makeup now… so would you kindly let him leave?” He gave his best attempt at smiling, but nothing in her expression changed. “Was I talking to you, errand boy?” She hissed, still latched onto the blonde’s wrist firmly. Yamaguchi blinked, a confused expression glued to his face.

From where he stood, he could see his friend’s eyes, which were stained with uncertainty and a deep, profound pain.

The boy sighed deeply, obtaining a calmness in his state of confusion. “I asked for you to leave him alone, so would you please do so?” The girl’s expression sharpened. “And I asked for you to stop talking to me, because you’ll hurt my eyes with your awful face.” A jagged edge threatened to cut his heart as the final words left her mouth.

Gripping his rage, he exhaled slowly, and allowed his expression to harden. “My face is awful, yet I know how makeup works better then someone like you? Your mascara is clumped, your concealer doesn’t even reach to the freckle on the border of your jaw, and the so called wings that you are trying to achieve are uneven.” The girl’s stone cold face shattered, as her eyes widened in shock. “Please stop acting like an eight year old without her teddy bear and leave us alone. If you haven’t noticed, Tsukishima Kei is an incredibly busy man.”

The blonde model’s eyes had changed, and now they watched Tadashi with faint admiration and extreme surprise. He grabbed his friend’s arm, and pulled him from the girl, leading him into the elevator and closing the doors.

As it began to go up, they watched each other in an odd silence. “Yamaguchi-” Tsukishima began, but was immediately silenced by his friend, who held his finger to his lips without saying anything more.

After a short while, the doors opened finally, and they stepped out to find Kei’s manager who looked severely panicked. As soon as he spotted his most prized model, he jumped on him with tears springing from his eyes. “Tsukishima! It’s terrible! All the bags of makeup that we bought have disappeared! None of the companies will lend us anything either! There’s only twenty minutes until the first shoot! What do we do?” He whined endlessly, until Yamaguchi stepped forward. “I have spare supplies, although they are rather plain.”

The man sniffed back more tears, and gave a sad look to the artist. “That won’t matter! Basic stuff won’t work! Tsukishima needs to pop!”

Tadashi gave him a reassuring smile. “I promise you that it’ll work.” Tsukishima cast his friend a wistful glance, and nodded. “We’ll do that then. Anyway, you said we had twenty minutes, we’d better go and do this.” He peeled the man off him, and the duo walked away, not giving the manager a chance to speak.

As they walked towards the makeup room and entered, they were greeted by a practically empty space with only basic hair styling tools lying around randomly. “Looks like it has been ransacked.” Tsukishima observed, glancing at Yamaguchi who studied the room with a look of surprise. “You don’t think the other companies had something to do with this?” He asked quietly, earning a shrug from his friend in reply.

Kei sat down on his usual chair, watching as Tadashi pulled out what looked like a simple makeup kit from his back pocket. “Hm. I don’t think this will really help actually.” He replaced the object back in his pocket, closing his eyes to think. “Oh, wait.”

The boy made his way to the wardrobe in the corner of the room, shuffling through its sparse contents, and suddenly brightening as his fingers brushed against a handle of sorts. He pulled it, and a miniature door fell to reveal a stash of different makeup items. Grinning like a child, he pulled out different types of eyeliner and concealer, turning back to Tsukishima with unbelievable happiness.

“Why is there a hidden door in the wardrobe?” The model asked as Tadashi approached him and began washing his face. “I’m not sure myself. I found it when I first started, and built up a mini stash of all the expensive makeup that I bought, since my house is not exactly that safe.”

There was silence as Yamaguchi began to concentrate, and in a short amount of time, Tsukishima had been completely remade. His skin tone was now a tad darker, and the subtle eyeliner that had been applied worked to bring out the daisy-like colour in his eyes.

“What do you think? Too simple?” “You know how to hide blemishes really well…” Tsukishima noted quietly, noticing the flash of panic on his friend’s face.

As Tadashi went to reply, a loud knock sounded behind the door, and his manager opened it straight afterwards, not waiting for a ‘come in’ or anything of the sorts. “The shoot is starting!” He waddled over to where his model sat and gave him an approving look, before whisking him out the door in a strangely fluid movement.

\--

Tsukishima was led into the room, surprised by the sheer amount of people scattered around. Cameras were everywhere and an annoying amount of lights were set up to ensure that the perfect photos were achieved. As he went to sigh, he noticed Yamaguchi coming in unnoticed and taking his place near the back wall. As well as this, he noticed the girl from earlier standing beside her group of friends and chatting happily. A sudden flash of memories returned, but he drowned them in other thoughts quickly.

His jaw tensed, and by the time he looked away, Tadashi had also noticed the red-head sourly. It occurred to Kei that he would most likely be modelling with her, since she was also quite a well-known model among the fashion world.

He could think of nothing worse.

The red-haired girl stopped talking for a moment, glancing around the room and spotting Kei. Her eyes widened, and as her mouth opened to call out for him, she noticed the boy from earlier walking up to him and talking.

Seconds later, he laughed, and looked over to where she stood, a deadly shine tinting his eyes.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is quite different to the others in the sense that the PoV's change quite a bit, so I'm sorry if it gets confusing!
> 
> However, it's the history behind the red-haired girl in the previous chapter so...
> 
> Enjoy!!

_ A Few Years Ago _

Akiteru was an ideal brother, modelling whenever he had the chance, completing exams with high grades and never hesitating to help his brother. To those who weren’t related to him, he was both stunningly attractive and extremely kind; causing countless women to fall in complete love with him. Only one of these girls, though, ever managed to capture his heart. Kajirei Miyuri, a red-haired girl with cunning prowess and a beautiful appearance.

The girl never failed to miss an opportunity to talk to him; and soon enough she had even grown into modelling after his influence. During this time, the two were happy, and enjoyed being together. However, it wasn’t until Miyuri stayed over at Akiteru’s house that she met Tsukishima, and it wasn’t until then that her love faltered.

Unlike Akiteru, his brother was mysterious, and was a peculiar point of interest every time he turned the girl away with a cold shoulder. Inside her, love grew in favour of Kei, branching quickly from her current boyfriend.

\--

His eyes were cast to the ceiling, tears threatening to well up and break his glazed façade. The light from his phone still lit his room brightly, the text message sitting on the still screen setting a constant reminder that he was in reality. Now he was forced to be strong for both himself and Kei, right?

He felt a lump forming in his throat as he heard a fresh wave of distorted sobs from the room beside him. ‘ _I’m sorry Aki-teru. The truth is, I’m in love with Kei. I’ve been that way for a while. I think we should break up.’_

Who could he be angry at? Kei – the one who could barely keep a passive face nowadays? Miyuri – the one who he let slip from his grasp? There was no one to blame but himself. But strangely, the tears would not form properly; only threaten endlessly and never fall.

\--

After a month, Kei’s crying still had not ended. Every night the same torture would befall him, and every night his pain would be heard across the house – a broken record of torment. The departure of Yamaguchi had brought him to an incomprehensible state. He began sleep talking, and at one point couldn’t even bring himself to sleep. His unhealthy lifestyle was being hidden by his dry exterior, and as he slowly eased into modelling, everyone assumed it was simply his personality.

At this time, Miyuri began to draw closer to him, through after-school activities and modelling collaborations. The day that she found him threatening to break in his makeup room was the day that she proposed the idea of dating to him.

\--

She exited the photography room, her red hair flowing behind her like a wild flame. Her eyes scanned the hallway, unable to identify the boy that she searched for. A spike of panic struck her heart. He had been in the same room as her, how did he get so far so quickly?

Miyuri thought, before heading subconsciously towards his makeup room. As she opened the door, the sight before her set a wave of sadness spiralling through her body. The boy sat in his chair, knees tucked to his chest, and head bowed, hiding his pained face. She could hear the shaky exhalations as he cried, and see the steady shaking of his shoulders.

“Tsukishima?” She whispered, loud enough for him to go suddenly stiff and silent.  
He said nothing in reply.  
“Are you alright?” She approached him, sitting in the chair beside him and remaining quiet until he finally spoke.  
“I’m fine. The contacts were just agitating my eyes.” He lied helplessly, keeping his head bowed.  
“You don’t need to lie to me. I care about you.” She reached her hand out, patting his back lightly.

He tensed under her touch, but did not make any movements to remove her from him.  
“I’m not lying.” His tone was sharp, yet the previous emotion left his voice uneven and far from stern.

Miyuri pursed her lips, before standing and moving to be in front of the boy. Slowly, she placed her hands on the bottom of his jaw and titled his head upwards. Her heart skipped a beat as he complied, not having enough energy to resist her.

His cheeks glistened with tears, while his eyes were puffy and slightly bloodshot. Behind his dull eyes was a lingering pain, depression and fear.  
“Kei.” He flinched at the mention of his name, trying desperately to avoid her stare, but to no avail.  
“Kei, I love you.”

There was silence, as her unwavering gaze bore into him.  
“I cannot return those feelings.” He replied half-heartedly, finally able to pull away from her grip.  
“I didn’t think you’d be able to. However, I want to support you. Aren’t you tired of this unhealthy state? If you said yes, then I’d be able to assist you in leaving it.”

He looked at her, slightly unnerved to see the steel determination set into her eyes.  
“I don’t think-“  
“Kei.” Her voice rang in his ears, and something clicked within him.

Surely by being with her, he’d be able to forget about Tadashi? For now, he’d be incapable of loving her, since his feelings were still elsewhere, but surely something new would develop.

\--

As time progressed, Miyuri became engrossed in celebrity matters, and in the issue of being constantly beautiful. Her personality underwent a massive swing from genuine kindness into a deep paranoia and belief that every and any girl simply existed to steal Kei from her.

As for Kei himself, he was right about developing something new. It was the need to escape from his girlfriend whenever possible, and avoid anything romantic. His feelings were still mismatched, yet he had no clue where they rightfully belonged.

This was due to the fact that Miyuri had developed an over the top jealousy, and even the simple act of another woman approaching him was considered cheating.

\--

She left her friends, spotting Kei up ahead. A certain happiness overcame her just by seeing him, and she raced forward, only to be stopped as a brown haired girl approached him sheepishly. She watched as the small-structured girl went red and said something before looking downwards.

A love confession?

Kei gave no indication of emotion, but said something short, and continued to walk as the girl ran off, smiling happily. Miyuri gritted her teeth, rushing forwards until she was in range to call out to him.

On her demand, the duo approached an alleyway, where she pulled him in and glared at him.

“What are we-?” He was interrupted by a sharp pain exploding in his face, and he instinctively raised his arm to protect himself from getting hurt again. The girl yelled in frustration, reaching to slap him once more, and connecting her hand with his face with a satisfying _‘thwack.’_

His glasses fell from his face, hitting the concrete, lenses still frightfully intact. “Do you realise how much I care? Do you realise how much I’ve helped you through? Why do you still disrespect me, despite that? Why?” She watched him hatefully, not reacting as he cupped his face, fright and shock rendering him speechless.  
“Whatever. Pay more attention to me, you don’t understand how much I try!”

She turned her gaze from him to his glasses, and rose her foot with malice.

The crunch of glass under her shoe was the only thing that he recognised as she walked away.

\--

Many similar incidents followed, all of them leaving mental scarring fresh in his mind. In some stages, physical scars began to appear, but he was quick to cover them up with various techniques.

As high school approached, the entrance exams began, and Kei refused to tell her what school he was applying for, which only proved to aggravate her further. When he did get accepted, they were in different areas and schools, which relieved him of the daily stress of having to see her.

He refused to break up with her, and remained with avoiding her, until she made it impossible for him to do so.

\--

Her clenched fists rapped on the door repeatedly, anger boiling thickly inside of her. As it swung open to reveal Kei, she threw her hand forward, waiting for it to smash into his jaw.

After a moment, nothing happened, and she opened her eyes; becoming stunned when her wrist was being held still by the boy.  
“What the-?”  
“I’m sick of this.” Kei whispered, watching her with hard eyes. No emotion leaked through them, it was impossible to read him.  
“I- I didn’t hear you.” She staggered backwards, hoping he’d release her.  
He sighed shakily. “Leave me alone. I’m done with this… this one-sided relationship. It’s a wreck. I don’t love you. I never have. You knew that, yet continued to pursue me. It’s over, Miyuri.”

As his words processed in her mind, he released her fist and shut the door, locking it with a simple click.

\--

And so ended their violent, painful relationship.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All this feedback and stuff has been amazing, so thanks to everyone who has been commenting and giving me Kudos :')
> 
> Hopefully this chapter is alright, and I hope you all enjoy reading it!!

The time of the year quickly approached, where the school would have an open day to the public in the form of a culture festival. Each class was made to prepare something, and were even allocated learning time to work on their event. During this period, Tsukishima was mostly grumpy, as he was constantly being forced into things that he didn’t want to do, merely because he was popular with the majority of the class (which was mostly comprised of females.)

After around two brainstorming sessions, where the best suggestions were overused, stereotypical ideas, they finally settled to conduct a romance play.

As Kei entered the classroom, all eyes turned to him in a fluid motion. He was used to the attention, and simply walked across to his desk, sitting down and facing the wall, acting uninterested in their hungry gazes. There was silence as their gazes lingered, and as he pretended to remain uncaring. After a few moments, the attention dulled, and the door slid open once more to reveal the class president.

She was a tall girl, although shorter then Tsukishima, and was known to have a high participation in instruments and music. Her hair was an odd shade of black, and at times it even seemed purple in the light. The girl was probably his favourite in the class, as she paid close to zero attention to him, and never gave him special treatment. In doing so, she was also an outcast, and spent her lunchtimes in other classrooms with friends who had a similar careless attitude towards the boy.

The girl strode over to the podium positioned in the front of the room, and cleared her throat, placing a stack of papers down, and looking up. There was silence as she made eye contact with a certain few, before starting to speak.

“Let’s keep this short. As you know, we have decided to do a class play, meaning we all must be in it. The script will be of the romance genre, and Tsukishima is automatically the main character by default.” She gazed at him blankly, before continuing. “So today, we must decide on who will play the girl that is depicted as his lover in the script, and other background roles. Would anyone like to volun-“

The president was interrupted by a chorus of raised hands, and muttering within the class.

She sighed. “This’ll be a problem.”

As she stated the obvious, the quarrelling began, as to why a certain girl should be Tsukishima’s partner, and why this person was better than the other. As the arguing escalated, Kei stood, which proved to steadily drop the amount of noise until the room was completely silent.

The girl who stood at the front shot him a puzzled look, but the model simply sat back down again, and returned her gaze, nodding.  
There was a glint of appreciation as she returned the gesture, and refocused on the class. “I will choose the actor then, since it obviously won’t work this way.”  
The silence remained as she spoke, but the bitterness that hung in the air was obvious, and jealous thoughts emanated towards the president.

“Why should you be allowed to pick? Won’t you just choose yourself?” One girl spoke up, glaring at the other with disdain.  
“Yeah, or you’d pick one of your friends just so they get a chance with him.” Another chimed in, and suddenly the arguing shattered the peace once more.

Tadashi, who sat behind Kei, smiled nervously, slightly scared to be caught up in a room with the girls’ debating. He had supposed that his friend was popular, but this degree with almost as if the whole class had an unhealthy obsession. Actually, wait, that much _was_ obvious by now.

The model watched the president, who attempted to yell, which helped nothing. She looked slightly distressed, with no clue what to do now that all of her methods had failed.

Kei sighed, deciding to step in. The boy brought his fingers to his mouth, and in an instant, an ear-piercing whistle leapt from his lips. Attention returned to him, and he returned their confusion with a deathly glare.  
“Please, stop arguing.” He thought about what to say next, now that everyone was watching him. “It’s giving me a headache.”  
He brought his thumb to his temple, and pressed it there as an indication.

The blonde noted with satisfaction as the girls gave each other guilty looks.  
“The president should choose who, merely because she is the only one who is clearly thinking here. If she wanted to choose herself, then she would have volunteered by now.” He concluded dryly, resting his chin on his hand.  
“How annoying.” The quiet statement was heard by those nearby, which caused even more silent panic, in fear of having gone too far, and completely turning him off.

The black-haired girl considered Tsukishima before she took in a breath to collect herself, and finished her speech. “Since all the females in this class will not cease arguing, I will turn the role over to Yamaguchi.”  
Her eyes went to the boy, who looked up in surprise at the mention of his name.  
“Me?” He stuttered, frightened to have a multitude of glares set on him.  
“Yes. If a girl was chosen, then the others would simply shame her to no end; and since you are the most feminine male here, I don’t see why it wouldn’t work.”

 Tadashi had no reply, but locked eye contact with a select few girls, all who conveyed jealousy and a profound hatred simply through their eyes.  
“I don’t think-“  
“Alright, so it’s decided.” The girl cut him off with a cheery tone, ignoring those who watched her. “Now, onto the minor roles...”

\--

The weeks progressed, and the performance drew closer. The arrangements for costumes and background props were sorted a few weeks beforehand, and by the time it was only a week away, Tsukishima and Yamaguchi had nearly learnt their lines.

The tine sped past and as it turned to the night before, Kei returned from the shower, and settled in front of the mirror in his room. The boy studied his blurred self, before donning his glasses, and pulling the script from his bag. It was still in mint condition, with no crumples affecting the page, and only a slight mark at where he would hold the script to memorise his lines from.

He grimaced, turning to the page where the couple confessed to each other. Did he really have to say this stuff to his friend? It wouldn’t be that bad, surely. The boy turned his gaze back to the mirror, the words clear in his head.

“I don’t think you understand… I-“ Kei froze, unable to reach any further. Why was this so difficult?  
He pictured his friend in his head, which proved to worsen his failure.  


_Don’t tell me,_ he thought sourly, lifting his hand to cover his eyes.

“Tadashi.” The silence in his room seemed to wrap around the name, and his breathing grew shallow.  
“Tadashi.” He repeated the name, a long exhalation following it.

In his mind, the boy was smiling, and a lump formed in the model’s throat. “Tadashi, I love you… don’t I?”

\--

The performance was a mere fifteen minutes away, and Kei tried his best to conceal any emotion as he waited for Yamaguchi’s makeover to be completed. The butterflies that dominated his stomach expanded as he ran through the script once more in his mind.

To those who saw him, he looked like he could care less, while inside he was running over and over the one part in the script that would most likely stuff him up. He watched absently as crowds of people walked past him, and jumped when the door beside him suddenly opened.

Yamaguchi appeared next to him, girlish clothes stuck to his body, and his hair shaken to resemble that of a short-haired woman. He looked at Tsukishima in surprise, recoiling back in embarrassment, hiding behind the door to ensure he couldn’t be seen.

“You realise we have under five minutes? I won’t make fun of you, I promise.” He reassured his friend, who still hid.  
“You won’t laugh?” Tadashi’s voice shook slightly, and Kei found himself considering the other’s trembling tone.  
“No.”

His friend reappeared slowly, meeting the model’s gaze shakily, who studied him with an urge to laugh, but held it back desperately.

“You said you wouldn’t laugh!” Tadashi raised his voice, an accusing tone directed at his friend.  
Finally, the blonde couldn’t stop himself, and exploded into a fit of hysterics. The boy fitted the feminine appearance way too well, and he was extremely attractive, but the fact that he looked so good was extremely funny to Kei.  
“I-I’m sorry.” He stated after about a minute, wiping forming tears from his eyes.

Yamaguchi looked extremely disappointed, but quickly turned his attention from his friend towards something approaching the duo. Tsukishima followed his sight, finding the president walking over to them quickly.

The girl greeted them before speaking. “The show is about to start, come on.” She beckoned for them to follow her, and they did so, rushing past roaming school students, and into the area backstage, where their performance was being introduced.

As the show started, Tsukishima stepped forward, but only got into character about midway through, which failed to bother the adoring audience. Time passed, and as it neared the end of the play, Kei remembered his confession lines were only a few sentences away.

He looked at his friend, and faltered slightly.  
“You don’t understand; I love you.” The fragment of the sentence was left hanging in the now silent room, and Yamaguchi watched in shock as emotions danced in his friends’ eyes.

It sounded so real, and so true, causing his memory to malfunction. Tadashi searched for his lines, but none came, and he shot the model a desperate look.

The blonde mouthed the word ‘improvise’, and the brunette thought quickly.

“Why would you ever love me?” He staggered back, getting caught up in acting realistically.  
“Why wouldn’t I? You’re perfect, and everything I have ever dreamed of.”

There was tension in the air as the audience focused on Tadashi, waiting for his next words.

“I-I guess I can’t hide it anymore…” The boy’s eyes came into contact with the other’s.  
“I love you too.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a day late, I'm so sorry. I've been extremely busy with exams and being brain-dead, but I couldn't bring myself to leave it any later.
> 
> Hope you enjoy the chapter, and sorry for the odd ending - it sets up chapter 8.
> 
> Anyway, thanks for the support and everything else!!

The end of the performance marked the finish of the culture festival; which also meant the final week of term. As the minds of students were quickly pulled from the joyous event to an abundance of exams, Tsukishima still maintained his feelings for Yamaguchi. It was dangerous, to be in love with the boy yet again. He remembered the past, and his deep feelings for his friend, as well as the pain that he felt when Tadashi left.

He would hate to relive such an occasion.

During exams, he felt his eyes flicking from the paper to his friend, and staying there for a few moments. At times, they would meet gazes, and hurry to break the awkward contact. It was almost relieving when he became refocused on his work, so that his other thoughts would be drowned out.

The last of the exams came to an end, and their holiday began.

\--

She sat in her bedroom, the window bringing in the pale morning light. Her hair hung in a loose bun on her head; she was the definition of a masterpiece as she fell deeper into thought. Her mind kept tripping over the word ‘love’, and the only thing that would come to mind was Tsukishima.

Miyuri sighed, slipping from her tangle of thoughts as a knock sounded on the door. Her brother appeared, a gentle smile forming on his lips.

“I’m back.” His words were soft as they touched her ears, and she could feel the rapid approach of tears forming in her eyes.  
The girl sprung out of her bed, running to the boy and toppling him in a loving hug.  
He laughed, and stroked her hair slightly, standing her upright. “Do you want to go shopping?” He asked, trying to come up with an idea that would please her.  
“Yes.” She laughed to herself, and shut her door, calling out that she would not be long.

She spent around five minutes fumbling in her clothes drawer, and when she stepped out into the hallway, she found her brother waiting patiently, hands in jean pockets.

“Ready to go then?”  
The pair left the house, enjoying the warmth after the cold bite of winter. She caught herself glancing at him occasionally, childish happiness having pushed the thoughts of romance from her mind. As they walked, the grass turned into concrete, and the city became more apparent. Stores came into view, and the girl was quick to drag him into any store that had some appeal, instantly blowing money on fashion and makeup items.

“Miyuri.” The boy stopped by a spring dress, pulling it out and holding it up. “Is this in style right now?”  
The girl considered the item for a moment before shaking her head. “It’s too innocently themed, the fabric looks rather heavy and the patterns are cheesy and over-used flowers.” She looked up at him, to find a wide smile stretched across his face.  
“You take your career seriously then? Being a model?” He put the dress back, and met her eyes, but the contact was quickly dropped from her nervous habits around him.

It was odd how quickly the cutesy, little sister act dropped when he wasn’t around.

“Yes. I’m sorry if that’s disappointing.” She fiddled with her fingers, realising how much she had changed her appearance since he left.  
“It’s not disappointing, taking work seriously is good. If you’re worried about what you look like, then don’t.” He laughed.

Her cheeks reddened, but she said nothing more, and their shopping spree continued.

The girl’s family was rather rich, and so she had no troubles spending money on anything she wanted. Not only did her own income contribute largely to the wealth, but her mother was a lawyer, and her father was the typical CEO.

As they continued to shop, she paid no attention to the price tags, and went for whatever interested her. At one point, the girl stopped, and looked around, realising that her brother must have walked off. Miyuri panicked slightly, walking around the store and searching, but quickly hiding when someone else appeared.

Tsukishima stood in front of a magazine display, flicking through the pages of one. From where she stood, she could make out the calm focus in his eyes, and the perfect side profile that he had. She felt her mouth opening, but no sound came out. The boy closed the item, his eyes flicking upwards and over to someone that she couldn’t see.

It was the first time that she had seen him looking so _unsure_ of himself, in a way. His attention went rapidly from the person in front of him to finding a way of distracting himself, and the faint tint of blush was visible on his cheeks. He smiled slightly, leaving the store after having a silent conversation.

The model realised what it was. Tsukishima was on a _date._

She felt her heart go heavy, but inwardly started to gather herself. She wouldn’t let Kei go as easily as last time. Miyuri went to follow him, but was stopped by the reappearance of her brother.

“Sorry, I went to get something that I needed.” He tapped his pocket absently, and she felt the weight of curiosity fall onto her shoulders.  
“What was it?” He gave her a dark look, which cleared up almost instantly, but it was still there long enough to scare her.  
“It’s not important…” The boy trailed off. “Anyway, are you done shopping?”  
She hesitated slightly, uncertain of how to reply; he had never given her that kind of look. “No, I have something to do… by myself.”  
His eyes watched her piercingly, and she bowed her head, eventually earning a sigh in reply.

“Fine. I’m going to be wandering around for a bit then. Meet me outside the milkshake place when you want to walk home.” With that sentence, he left, not leaving time for a response.

The girl cursed at herself, knowing that he was angry, but unable to justify herself, lest she lose Tsukishima. She exited the store, roaming around for a bit before she identified the blonde once more. The person that he was with was still out of sight, which bothered her greatly, but she hurried to catch up.

The duo approached another store, the signs outside labelled with famous makeup brands. She entered, taking on a rather stealthy persona, and finding him in a smaller section of the shop.

At last, she found who accompanied him.

It was the boy from before. His brown hair was ruffled, but the crooked grin and the joyous glimmer in his eyes fixed his appearance from messy to cute. He laughed quite often, and pulled out a number of different things, holding it up close to Kei’s face to compare the colour with his complexion.

She found herself in extreme jealousy, and so she left in a hurry, not wanting to be seen, or see anything more. Thoughts poured through her head insanely; like why Tsukishima was having so much fun with this boy, and who the hell the guy even was. The girl found her brother, and they began to walk home in silence, a plan forming in her head, ruling out the idea of talking.

\--

Tsukishima had spent the morning in the shops with Tadashi, collecting items to use for an upcoming photo shoot that he was being forced to take part in. He hated to admit it, but the event had a certain amount of fun to it, and he couldn’t deny that the time he spent with Yamaguchi was enjoyable.

The photoshoot was scheduled for the afternoon, and when the time finally came around, both boys were complimented for their abilities. Tsukishima had posed exceptionally well, and Tadashi seemed to make him stand out even more, with his choice of eyeliner, and other makeup items. The two were extremely happy with their performance, although Yamaguchi was the only one who showed it externally.

They left the workplace as the sun set, and both seemed to be silent for a moment. They had to walk separate ways, but neither of them felt like breaking the contact.

“Did you want to go somewhere before home?” Yamaguchi spoke up, looking over at his friend, whose face was softened by the colours of the setting Sun.  
Tsukishima nodded, and they began to walk beside each other, not particularly bothered about where they ended up.

Eventually they reached an empty park, and claimed the swing set as their seats.

The model let out a long sigh, before sitting and wrapping his arms around the chains that held the rubber in place.  
“Thanks for agreeing to shop with me.” Tadashi’s voice was quiet, yet calm, and oddly happy.  
“Well, it made the process easier for you, so I don’t mind.”

The conversation dropped, and throughout the park, the slight creak of the swings was heard, wrapping the pair in a comfortable silence. Kei found himself looking around, some factors of the park seeming to be oddly familiar to him.

That was when it struck him.

This was the park that Tadashi had left him at, around ten years ago. Memories came flooding back, like the weekends that they would spend playing hide and seek, or tag. The clearest memory was still the day when his tears would not stop forming, and now he found himself looking at his friend.

“Yamaguchi.” The other turned, meeting eye contact almost surprisingly.  
“Yes, Tsukishima?”

 _Tsukishima._ The blonde was stunned for a moment, his name sounded so foreign. That wasn’t what Tadashi should be labelling him as, was it?

“You shouldn’t be calling me that.” Kei’s voice was a whisper, and he broke contact to look at the sand pit below him.  
From beside him, he heard Tadashi draw in a breath, shakily. “Tsukki…”  
The model looked up in a moment of revelation, watching his friend, who now looked away.  
“I like it when you say it.” He stated simply, trying straight afterwards to calm himself down.

There was silence.

“Yamaguchi. What happened ten years ago? Why did you leave?”  
His friend looked up, surprised by the question. In an instant, his past flashed by his eyes, and he felt tears rising, but quickly stopped them.

The boy met his eyes one more, and opened his mouth to reply.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another late chapter! I'm on a roll.  
> No but seriously, I am very sorry for all of these late chapters, and even this one was going to be late, but I made myself write it.  
> I have been really sick recently and have been unable to focus on school work let alone writing, but I'm getting better now!
> 
> I feel as if I should include a disclaimer, that there is a few small section that mentions suicide, so if you're sensitive to that kind of stuff, then skip the paragraph or something??
> 
> Anyway, enjoy reading!

_ The painful past _

His eyes scanned the park, which was now awash with the colours of a looming sunset. He glanced to the side nervously, where his blonde friend sat, seemingly lost in thought. His attention flicked to the trees around them, and then down to his pocket, where the buzz of a phone could be heard. Kei turned his attention towards the noise, and rose his eyebrow when the other answered it uneasily.

His friends’ face was quick to change from peaceful into pale disbelief, and when he did hang up, he stared at Tsukishima, in a trance of horror.  
“Tadashi? What’s wrong?” Concern appeared in his tone, despite trying to keep any and all emotions hidden.  
“I-I… need to go home. Right now.”

The boy began stuffing the cell phone back in his pants, the severe shaking of his hands making the task difficult. His friend watched him in disbelief, not knowing what to do or say.

“Tsukki.” Yamaguchi finished the task, inhaling a deep breath, and standing in his spot. “I have to leave.”  
Confused, the blonde nodded, but ceased the action when tears appeared in the others’ eyes.  
“Tsukki. I have to leave, for good.” He repeated himself, choking on the final fragment of his sentence.

There was a state of shocked silence, and the brunette turned, hoping to escape before his friend could respond.

His wishes were defied by the grip stationed on his arm.  
“What do you mean? You can’t just say that and leave.”  
Tadashi didn’t reply, only continued to face away from Tsukishima, so that his tears were hidden, and the breaking of his heart could not be heard.  
“Tsukki. Let go.” His voice was shaky, despite every attempt to steady it.  
“I will not.”  
“Tsukki, plea-“

He was cut off by a force pulling him backwards, and suddenly, only warmth surrounded him. He could feel pressure on the top of his head, and another weight around his waist. It wasn’t long before he realised that Tsukishima was hugging him.

Tsukishima, the one who rarely expressed anything, and the one who barely smiled, was hugging him. The grip around his waist tightened, and he felt his friends’ face buried in his hair.

“Please, don’t go.” He whispered, releasing a tangled and hurt sigh.  
“I don’t have a choice, Tsukki…”

Gradually, his embrace loosened, and finally, Tadashi was able to leave. He felt the shattering of glass within him as he met eyes with his friend, who started to look more grown up already.

“We’ll see each other again, I’m sure.” His voice shook, and tears finally fell, seeming to mark the first stain on his pride.

\--

His bed used to mark an escape. The place to sleep and leave reality for a subconscious world, where anything was possible, and he didn’t have to be himself. Now, it was just another place to be alone, where the times of being kissed goodnight were faded memories.

_“Yamaguchi Tadashi, yes?” The woman gave him a piercing glare, studying him slightly, before meeting his eye contact.  
_ _“U-Uh, yeah.”_

_The nurse sighed, patting him on the shoulder. “Your mother is unconscious. She is mostly undamaged, but… her arm was sliced clean off.”_  
Tadashi stayed still, eyes widening, but unsure of how else to react.  
“What about-“

_“Your father is dead.”_

He watched the wall, wishing repeatedly for it to open up and swallow him whole. He didn’t want to live with this, and he’d already been banned from the kitchen, after his caregiver caught him preparing to stab himself with a knife. He had tried other ways, but the family had managed to get rid of everything that could lead to a successful suicide.

The boy could see Tsukishima in his head, and somehow, could still feel the hug wrapping him tightly. Maybe that was the only thing that could keep his thinking somewhat rational, with the occasional depressive thought. His ‘family’ believed that there was something wrong with him, as a person of his age would normally never showcase the tendencies that Yamaguchi did.

That was fine.

Once his mother was awake, he would be able to go home, see Kei again, and attempt to pick up the pieces of his life that he so dearly missed.

_It was a car crash. They collided head on with another car, and it was enough force to shatter the windshield, which propelled your father forward through the glass shards, and onto the road. He died almost immediately. As for your mother… her arm was caught, and was torn from her body after the impact._

He remembered the smiling face of his mother, and felt tears welling up in his eyes for the first time in a few weeks.

Why him?

\--

He was forced to move, as the medical requirements for his mother had increased, and where they currently lived the hospital would be unable to supply such a need. Now, he was able to stay with her in the new hospital, which improved his mental health greatly, despite having to see his comatose mother daily.

Yamaguchi would awake, fulfil his basic needs, and then sit by her bed for the rest of the day, talking endlessly. His imagination grew as more stories were required, and it assisted in keeping him happy.

At one point, he woke up, and found his mother sitting upright. Her face wasn’t visible, as she was looking out the window, but he could hear soft crying.

The boy approached her, reaching his hand out to settle on her back, causing her to stiffen instantly. He said nothing, and when she turned around, her eyes widened, and he found himself locked in another hug, where tears poured freely onto his head.

“Tadashi.” The woman sobbed, pressing a messy kiss into his hair. “I’m so sorry.”  
She pulled away, saddened to see her son crying, but even more so by the look in his eyes. A certain pain, fear and maturity lingered in them, one that she had hoped not to see until his teen years.  
“Are you alright?” He spoke, climbing into her bed, and pulling her into another hug.

She did not speak for a moment, only stroked his hair with the single hand that she had. Her eyes lingered over the stump of an arm that was a reminder of the car crash, then back to Yamaguchi.  
“I am okay. You’re so strong, aren’t you? Dealing with all of this, by yourself.” She murmured, pulling him closer.

It was so difficult for her to achieve a smile at this time, as the memory of her husband’s death was still alarmingly fresh. However, if she failed to be strong, Tadashi would be left all alone, yet again.  
“I’m not strong. I nearly did things that I shouldn’t have even thought about.”  
She understood what he was implying instantly, which only furthered to deepen her sadness.  
“You’re very strong, please trust me on that. I will be here for you from now. I’m so sorry you had to suffer alone.”

The two continued to cry together, marking the occasion of her awakening.

 

As years passed, she began to recover even more so, and she began allowing Yamaguchi to try more things. She acquired makeup kits, which gave her son an opportunity to practice on her face, and she watched as his interest in the hobby grew further. Not once did she suggest dropping the subject, or mention that it was a girly thing. All she did was allow him to understand himself.

While this happened, the hospital fees built up, and they were struck into poverty, as she could no longer work, and Tadashi was too young. The woman failed to mention anything to him though, in case he worried unnecessarily.

However, once the recovery was fully made, the family no longer had any money, and were forced to live in homeless shelters, until Yamaguchi’s mother applied for a loan, and they were able to go back to where he had previously lived, despite the house being much cheaper.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow is this chapter late. I said that I would be back to a regular schedule when it came to updating this story... but then my laptop broke. -.-
> 
> Thankfully, it has been replaced so I should be able to give weekly updates again!
> 
> Sorry for the delay, but enjoy reading this chapter!!

Yamaguchi seemed to be a completely different person from the small boy that Tsukishima once knew. Every time he looked at him, he now realised the maturity that had settled as lines on his face. He paid more attention to the boy’s sadness, and saw him for the person he was now, instead of seeing him as he was back then. 

In class, Tsukishima would often think of the way that Yamaguchi had stumbled on some sentences as he spoke, and how he would occasionally freeze at the detection of a certain smell or sight. The blonde began thinking of what would’ve been different if he was there to support his friend during the time of his mother’s hospitalization. 

It was all pointless, he knew, and the past would be unchanged, no matter how many times he wished that he could’ve been there. 

\--

As class closed in on him, he sat, and allowed his thoughts to swallow him whole once more. He was inattentive as the teacher appeared and began reading notices, starting the lesson off with a bleary tone. 

When the boy finally did tune in, Yamaguchi was standing awkwardly, and looking at him hopefully. Tsukishima gazed over to where the teacher stood, confused.

“So no one wants to help him get the textbooks?” The man scanned the class hastily, where students sat in a quiet daze.

The model stood, and felt a small rise of happiness in his chest as a wide smile spread across his friends’ face.

“Off you go then.” The teacher waved them away, and the duo exited the classroom, ignoring the sharp whispering that followed their departure. 

Tsukishima really was too popular.

The pair began down the hallway, one with light steps, and the other with hands in pockets.   
“I thought you were mad at me or something, and weren’t volunteering because of it.” Tadashi said, breaking the silence between them.  
Kei gave him a long sideways glance, weighing his expression and tone. “No, I was just thinking.”

They continued, passing a pair of familiar people. One was the principal of their school, and he chatted carefully to the woman beside him, who possessed long red locks and a rather cunning expression. The girl looked to be their age, and wore the same uniform, indicating she was a member of the school.

Yamaguchi gave her an intrigued look, to which she replied with her own gaze. Before he could say anything, they were already gone, and he had the faint suspicion that he had seen the girl somewhere before.

Eventually, the duo reached a rather old and deteriorating door, which led to a storeroom, filled with textbooks and other school related items. Tadashi turned the knob, and a slit of light allowed them to peer into the room. 

“Do you see the books?” He asked, finding himself to be whispering.  
“No.” Tsukishima replied in an evenly quiet voice. 

The blonde stepped inside, followed closely by the brunette, and then the door was shut. Darkness enveloped the two, and Kei cursed. 

“Can you find a light anywhere?” The model asked, running his hand along shelves to try and find his placement within the room.  
His friend did the same, hoping to bump into a switch of sorts, or perhaps find a window in the black.

There was nothing.

“Do you have your phone with you?” Yamaguchi proposed a new idea, trying to find his way back to the door, but finding himself to be completely lost.  
“Maybe. Let me check.” 

As the blonde reached into his back pocket to search for his mobile, Tadashi stepped forwards, and into a line of boxes. The boy lurched forward, and felt his arms flail to try and regain balance. He cried out, toppling onto his friend, and caused him to in turn fall too.

Kei felt a wave of panic as he was standing in one moment, and lying on the floor in the next. Pain tore up his right arm in an instant, and a heavy weight was on top of him.

Tadashi stood, extremely shocked and flustered at the sudden incident, while still unsure of what had happened.  
“Are you alright I-“  
His friend let out a groan, and continued to lie flat on the floor, bringing his functioning arm up to cover his face.  
“I’m alright, my arm just hurts a little.” Tsukishima lied, attempting to move the unresponsive limb in the dark.  
“Did you manage to find your phone?” Tadashi held his hand out, although it was impossible to see.  
“Yes, but I can’t move my hand.” 

There was silence, before shuffling, and he sensed a presence beside him. Yamaguchi leaned down, opening his friends’ fingers and taking the mobile from his grip.

He quickly turned the flashlight app on, and was greeted by the twisted form of his friends’ limb. 

“It’s broken- I’m sorry, that was all my fault.” He stuttered, standing up, and trying to assist his friend in getting up himself.   
The blonde clutched the others’ hand, grateful for the light that illuminated the room. He let his disfigured arm hang loosely by his side as they exited.

Outside, it was a cruel reminder of the bright day, and they had to at first adjust their sight to suit the surroundings. Straight after, they made their way to the nurse office, where Tsukishima was taken to hospital to get an X-RAY.

Tadashi remained back at school, returning to the classroom after fighting to find the textbooks once more. 

\--

Lunch time was filled with loneliness as Yamaguchi sat alone in the midst of a thousand voices. Guilt washed over him in a repetitive, tiresome cycle, and he found that he could barely digest his food. He continuously looked around, hoping to find something to distract himself. It was unlikely that Tsukishima would blame him anyway… right?

His eyes stopped on the girl from earlier, who was looking at him with a piercing glare. It dawned on him that the girl was undoubtedly Tsukishima’s ex, and with that knowledge, he stood with the hope of escaping.

His wish was short lived however, as she approached him quicker than expected, cornering him in an empty space.

“How dare you?” She hissed, bringing her face close to his, so that her perfume turned into a sickly sweet scent.   
Yamaguchi was stunned; clueless to what she was doing. It was probably about Kei, but how did she know about it?  
“You think you can just go around hurting people because they’ve got it better than you? Stop lying to yourself. You apologised? We both know that it was intentional.” She slammed her palm into the wall behind him, causing him to jump slightly.  
“Why would it be intentional-?”  
“Don’t play dumb!” The girl was growing increasingly angrier, and he felt a wave of unease.

If he didn’t escape, he would probably end up hurt.

The boy was silent, figuring the best way out was to not say anything.

“Stop talking to him. All you do is hurt him, and he doesn’t deserve that.” Her voice was quiet now, but still maintained the sharp edge that it once had.  
He felt himself biting his tongue. When would the bell ring?  
“Promise me that you’ll stop talking to him, and I’ll leave you alone. If you don’t…” She paused, and looked up. 

Yamaguchi did feel severely threatened, but he was unable to imagine a life without Tsukishima, and so he retained his silence. 

“Are you even listening?” She yelled, deafening him. 

In the next moments, the girl had carried her hand across his cheek in a swift motion, and the boy was left cradling his face hopelessly. She swore to herself that she would get rid of this man, so that Tsukishima might be hers once more.


	10. The Final Chapter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Once again I am extremely late with an update, and I honestly don't have a good excuse for that other than schoolwork.
> 
> However, I finally got around to writing the last chapter in this story. It's kind of sad to think that 10 chapters and 14.9k words have brought this fanfiction to a close, but it had to end some time, right?
> 
> Well, I will stop rambling now, and I hope you all like the final addition to the story!
> 
> Enjoy!

Tsukishima’s eyes cracked open, the buzzing of his cell phone a cruel wakeup call. The boy groaned and turned over slowly, being cautious of the broken arm beside him. Today was a weekend, so he was unsurprised to see Yamaguchi calling.

The model sat up quickly but carefully, answering the call and bringing the device to his ear.  
“Hello?” He inwardly flinched at the sound of his own voice. The fact that he had just woken up was bleeding obvious.  
“Oh-uh-hello Tsukishima. Sorry, did I wake you?” Yamaguchi sounded concerned as he spoke.  
“No, I have been awake for ages.” He lied easily, holding back the urge to yawn.  
“I’m glad. So, I called to ask if you wanted to meet up at the park, I would like to talk with you.” His tone sounded desperate almost, and Tsukishima couldn’t help but feel as if something was seriously wrong.  
“Yes. Are you down there now?”  
“Yeah.”  
“Alright, I’ll start walking now.” With a final sentence, he hung up, and grabbed his glasses from the bedside table next to him.

The blonde-haired boy stood, and changed into casual clothes, before going over to the mirror and trying to fix his bed hair. Eventually, he corrected himself, and made his way downstairs with an awkward sense of balance due to his limp arm.

\--

He approached the memory-filled park in silence, noticing that Yamaguchi was waiting quietly in one of the swings.   
“Hello.” Tsukishima sat beside him, finding that the chains were rusted and decaying.  
The boy snapped out of an apparent daze and smiled to himself. “Hello, Tsukishima.” 

There was silence before anything else was said.

“So, what did you need to talk to me about?” The model asked.  
“Yeah. I just wanted to apologise, for breaking your arm and everything. I can pay for something if you like-“  
“It’s okay, really. It was my own clumsiness and misplaced balance.”

The silence returned. Around them, it seemed like an empty world, and even the wind had decided to leave them in peace. 

“Yamaguchi, are you-?” He was interrupted by quiet sobs, and he looked over to where his friend sat, only to see tears streaming freely down his face.

Kei watched in a shocked state, unsure of what to say, or how to comfort him. The sound of his crying rang true in Tsukishima’s heart, and he wanted to hug him, or reach out, but was paralysed.

“I’m sorry... I told myself I wouldn’t cry. It’s just – we might not be able to be friends anymore, Tsukki.”

The nickname sent a spear of emotions straight into Kei’s chest, and his throat went dry. Not friends? He would have to lose Yamaguchi again, for a reason that would most likely be nothing?

“I think… I think I should go. This might be the last time we talk, but thank you for everything.” The boy slowly stood, his hands shakily wiping the tears off of his face.  
Tsukishima’s eyes were glued to him, and as his friend turned and looked at him dead in the eye, he too stood.

“Tadashi. You can’t leave – I don’t want to lose you again.” He stumbled over his words, inwardly stunned that he was able to express himself for once - although his friend had spun around once more.  
From the back, Kei could see Yamaguchi’s shoulders rise and fall, with some stutters as he cried. The boy reached out and placed his hand onto one of the shaking shoulders.

Tadashi turned around slightly; just enough to reveal a swollen right cheek.  
Tsukishima released him, and looked at the wound with wide eyes. 

The brunette did not comment, and only drew in a shallow breath.

“I’m only hurting you, aren’t I?” Yamaguchi asked quietly.  
“No.”  
“I’m holding you back from what you could achieve, aren’t I?”  
“No.”  
“I’m worthless and useless and everything that is wrong with the world.” His voice gave way to a fresh wave of sobs. “Aren’t I?”

“No.” Tsukishima insisted his answer, feeling a surge of sadness well up in his eyes. “Tadashi, you aren’t. Why would you think that?”  
The boy shrugged. “Because it is the truth.”

Kei shook his head, finding his voice to be non-existent. 

Tadashi finally looked at him properly, and the wall that was blocking his emotions shattered. Tsukishima could see that the mounds of pain that had built up were now pouring out, and the depression and pure desperation were as clear as day.

Wordlessly, the model pulled his friend into a silent embrace, listening as he cried steadily. His shirt was damp where the tears fell, but he paid no mind as the moment consumed him.

From a narrow alleyway beside the park came a figure, who appeared with confidence and a hint of disgust adorning her porcelain face.

Tsukishima only noticed her entrance by the loud clicking of heels on the pathway, and he looked up, still keeping a firm hold on Yamaguchi. 

Miyuri.

Her flaming red hair was styled into a braid, and her eyes were as painstakingly judgemental as ever. She grinned at Tsukishima. “Kei, I didn’t think that I would see you here today.”  
He drew in a breath, remembering the voice in its worst times. “You were obviously wrong then.” 

Inwardly, he applauded himself for being able to talk to the abuser.   
She nodded and shrugged slightly, before stepping closer to the park.  
“Were you just saying goodbye to Yamaguchi?” Her voice was dripping with a form of poison, and he felt himself turn numb to her taunts.  
“No.” He replied simply, never removing his eyes from hers.  
The girl gazed at him with disdain, then took in a long breath. “Well, you should start your farewells then. I refuse to leave him alone until he leaves you. Unless you would like to hurt your dear friend?”  
Tsukishima was quiet, and he heard Tadashi mutter something inaudible to his chest.

“Miyuri. I will never ever date you again, or have anything to do with you. I refuse to share my life with someone who just wants to ruin it.”  
The girl looked taken aback. “I don’t want to ruin it. I want to be there for you, Kei. That’s all I’ve ever wanted. I only ever abused you because I was stressed and my family life was tough. That was how I vented my pain. Please Kei, I need you.”

The boy processed the words, then looked up to the sky. “I said no, and I meant it. You lie to get what you want, and besides, I love Tadashi.”

The words rang throughout the park, and everyone was silent. Even the crying from Yamaguchi ceased. 

“But Kei-“  
“I am Tsukishima to you.”  
“Kei-“ She persisted, but was interrupted by his eyes locking onto hers.

They had changed significantly. She felt a cold danger lurk behind them, and a chill ran up her spine as the gaze signalled a warning of sorts.

“Miyuri. Leave.” He said blankly, stare unwavering.   
“But…”  
“Leave.”

She felt helpless as he said nothing more, and she let out a frustrated yell, before spinning around and running off. 

Tsukishima released Yamaguchi finally, and gave him a small smile.  
“Are you oka-?”  
“I like you too.” The boy interrupted him quietly, sniffing back the need to cry more, and ignoring his cheeks as they continued to redden.  
The blonde-haired boy stood in a quiet air, eventually reaching his thumb out to Yamaguchi’s cheek and wiping the drying tears away. 

Before he could pull his hand back, Tadashi cupped it in his own, and offered Kei a hopeful, happy smile.


End file.
